Heifer Calving

Theo_Paphitis

I just wanted to get some feedback, I know abnormal things can happen when an animal’s calving but just wanted to know if anyone else had this problem and could it be prevented with some solution. When the heifer was lined up and the jack was on her, she sat down like a dog therefore causing the ropes to come off the jack and ultimately the calf ended up dead. Any solutions lads or is this just a freak occurrence?

agriman27

Sorry to hear the calf died. Was the heifer in a crush with her head caught. It's hard to know usually I would release her and roll her over a bit and she would straighten herself up. If her head is caught she can't do this. But I know it's all split second stuff and always hard to take when goes wrong!

Bizzum

I've seen it happen alright. You do tend to get a feel for a cow that's gonna go down. It can happen when you put the pressure on her.
What stage was the calf at when she dropped?
What sort of headgate was she in?

1chippy

Had it a few times, it was when we had the head locking gate for calving up against a wall. Made a few alterations and turned the head lock into the mmiddle of the pen where we have a dividing gate. Leaves more space and if they do drop, a bit of ignorance and you will have them lying the right way.

Theo_Paphitis

Yeah it's a head gate against a wall. I wouldn't mind but I put a lot of hard graft into the shed this winter. Calf was at the hips just at the pressure stage. If she wasn't in the head gate it mightn't have happened but ya need the head gate all the same. So head gate in the middle of the shed?? How would that help if she sits like a dog? I was thinking of some sort of way of holding her up, did ye see anything like that? Or would it work?

Aru

You could trying throwing a halter and tie it loosely to the side of the gate once shes in the head gate.
That way you can release the gate altogether letting them lurch forward/backwards/ roll them a bit if you need to once their down, but you still have control on her and something to pull her head in the direction you want.

If a cow is determined to go down there not a lot you can do to stop her ....unless you are talking about getting the likes of an imobiliser crush and putting a belly rope under and tied to both sides as a support...and that isnt always enough to stop them trying to dog sit.

micky mouse

As bizzum said you get a feel for it . I have calving gate again the wall,tie a rope to her leg down low on side next wall.when you see her going down pull on the rope,she will still go down but you will have both legs angled sideways as again under her(sitting like a dog)

yellow50HX

Theo_Paphitis wrote: »

I just wanted to get some feedback, I know abnormal things can happen when an animal’s calving but just wanted to know if anyone else had this problem and could it be prevented with some solution. When the heifer was lined up and the jack was on her, she sat down like a dog therefore causing the ropes to come off the jack and ultimately the calf ended up dead. Any solutions lads or is this just a freak occurrence?

its a pain alright when it happens. We have the caving gate against a gate in the pen, it the cow goes down i can open the gate so it doesnt matter if its tot he left or right. As she is goign down i can push her so that she lands on her side and i can still work the jack. Also as head crush is an old crush gate i can realease it very quickly to release her head.

pakalasa

I don't have a calving gate, so I put put a head halter rope on the cow in the crush. Let the cow back into the shed and tie her up, with a few feet of free rope. She has plenty freedom to move about then and can lie down normally. You do need penty of swing room for the jack and you would be worried at times, with a mad cow that she would slip out of the halter.